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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: land · racket · rule · rush · mate · present · staff · fan

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — the time now
  3. land — to come down
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — a gift
  11. rule — government
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rule — a law
  22. mate — a friend
  23. present — there
  24. land — a country

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