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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: fan · mouse · rest · rule · shower · jam · pit · racket

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rule — a law
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rule — government
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rule — to rule out

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