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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — government
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rule — a law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com