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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rule — government
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. court — of law
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cue — a signal
  13. court — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. band — a music group
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. court — of a king
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. band — a ring

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