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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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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: content · row · mine · sharp · rush · racket · rule · cap

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rule — a law
  4. row — a line
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. content — happy
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — government
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cap — of ice

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