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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · racket · fine · chair · kick · net

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — in football
  9. fine — all right
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. net — in sport

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