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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · racket · safe · last · coach · chip · rule · mug

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — to go on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — a law
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mug — a face
  12. last — final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. last — finally
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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