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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rule — a law
  10. fork — in a road
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pop — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — soda

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