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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · pitcher · rash · can · rule · court · jam · fall

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rule — government
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. court — of law
  9. rash — hasty
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — to be able to
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — to eat

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