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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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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 · ball · cue · wind · sharp · scale · rule · cap

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — in music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — a lid
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rule — government
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — for pool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  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