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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. club — for golf
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — in football
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a trace
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — a group
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rule — government
  24. coach — a trainer

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