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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pit — a hole
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — a stick
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in biology
  10. land — a country
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. land — to come down
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rule — a law
  21. land — ground
  22. cell — a phone
  23. row — to paddle
  24. arm — a part of something

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