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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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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: scale · ground · lie · rest · racket · kid · stick · rule

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. kid — to tease
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rule — government
  18. scale — size or range
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — a break
  24. kid — child

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