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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. capital — a city
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. capital — money
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rule — a law
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — government
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — a friend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — a partner

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