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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — all right
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — the tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — army training
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — steady
  24. drill — a practice

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