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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 116 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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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: kid · season · rest · racket · rule · current · cap · suit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cap — a lid
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — a law
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rule — government
  9. current — happening now
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — electric
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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