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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: foot · racket · chest · scale · rule · snap · rest · ball

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rest — a break
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. snap — to click
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — the bottom

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