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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — a law
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — temperature
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — government
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. suit — to fit
  21. last — final
  22. swing — to play on
  23. last — finally
  24. fall — the season

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