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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rule — government
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pit — in a race
  5. board — to get on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rule — a law
  17. season — in sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — steady
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — of the year
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — a line

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