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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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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: club · shower · rule · rush · ground · plane · cabinet · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — a position
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — rain
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — a group
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — government
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. plane — in geometry

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