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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spring — a coil
  9. snap — to click
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spring — the season
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — a law
  14. court — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cell — a phone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spring — of water
  23. rule — government
  24. racket — a loud noise

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