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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mate — a friend
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. firm — steady
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. court — of a king
  15. firm — decided
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. firm — a company
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hand — help
  24. pitcher — a jug

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