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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — to come from
  4. firm — a company
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — decided
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. shower — rain
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. file — a document
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — a law
  22. board — a committee
  23. shower — to wash
  24. firm — steady

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