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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mug — a face
  4. rule — a law
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitch — completely
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rule — government

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