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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · tear · rule · rock · ball · roll · bass · object

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. object — to protest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bass — low music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — an aim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — a cake
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — to move gently

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