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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. firm — a company
  7. land — ground
  8. rule — government
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — decided
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — to come down

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