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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. drill — army training
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — letters
  11. court — for sport
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. court — of a king
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — magic
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of law
  24. drill — a practice

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