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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — to go on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rule — a law
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — a series
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a hole
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — government
  18. last — finally
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — final
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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