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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. row — a line
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — a law
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. racket — a loud noise

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