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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. net — after costs
  24. mouse — the animal

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