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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: jam · rule · plane · rush · shower · racket · cabinet · march

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — to wash
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. march — music
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — rain
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. jam — in traffic

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