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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — a law
  11. club — a group
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. club — for golf
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rule — government
  20. chest — a box
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — the animal

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