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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. last — final
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. last — finally
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rule — a law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — government
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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