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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — government
  5. clip — for paper
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. board — to get on
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. clip — to cut
  11. root — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. clip — a video
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — a law

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