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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. drill — the tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — a law
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. drill — army training
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rule — government

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