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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: fall · rule · mate · pitcher · rush · pit · swing · fork

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fall — the season
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — in a road
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — to breed
  11. swing — music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mate — a friend

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