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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — government
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. sharp — clever
  16. deal — to handle
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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