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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rule — government
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rule — a law
  24. wound — an injury

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