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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ground — the earth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — hurry
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — a position
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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