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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bank — for money

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