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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 120 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. capital — money
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — the underground
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — for golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. club — for dancing
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. capital — a city
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chip — for betting
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. shower — rain

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