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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chest — a box
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — part of the body

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