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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 120 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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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: racket · last · object · deal · sharp · perch · chest · rule

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — a law
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — a thing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — government
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — finally
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. perch — the fish
  23. object — to protest
  24. deal — a big deal

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