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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. club — a group
  4. squash — the sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — to crush
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. race — humankind
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — for golf
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — government

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