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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 116 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rash — hasty
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wind — moving air
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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