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

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pit — a hole
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rule — government
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for dancing
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. suit — clothes
  12. toast — bread
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — a law
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — a group
  24. chair — a leader

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