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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: mouse · rule · cell · toast · racket · fork · bass · drill

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. drill — a practice
  5. toast — bread
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rule — government
  16. drill — army training
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — in biology
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — a law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fork — in a road

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