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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. game — wild animals
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — a law
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. season — of the year
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — in sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rash — a series
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. game — a match

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