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

Word bank: squash · racket · kick · jam · rule · chair · lash · game

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — government
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — a law
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a leader
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lash — to lash out
  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