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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. staff — employees
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — thin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to bend
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — a stick
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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