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

Word bank: rule · foot · chair · cap · clip · tear · ruler · pit

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — in a race
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rule — a law
  8. chair — a leader
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — of ice
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — a hole
  24. clip — a video

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