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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. roll — a cake
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — help
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — a list
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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