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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rule — government
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. firm — a company
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — a law
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kick — in football
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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