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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. clip — a video
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rule — government
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pass — a permit

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