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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. band — a ring
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. rule — government
  10. fine — all right
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pitch — completely
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — in football
  24. fine — high quality

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