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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — money
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. capital — a city
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kick — with a leg

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