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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: kick · root · sharp · racket · suit · mine · race · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — a contest
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kick — in football
  9. race — the arms race
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. root — of a word
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — for tennis

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