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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — a series
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rule — a law
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a match

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