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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — in football
  10. cue — a signal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. capital — money
  20. band — a music group
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — a city

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