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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. club — for golf
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — a series
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — with a leg

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