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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a document
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — for tennis

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