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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 116 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pound — a weight
  11. board — a committee
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — a law
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cue — for pool
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — to get on
  21. rule — government
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pitcher — a jug

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