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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rule — government
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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