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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 · chest · pass · suit · tear · club · court · arm

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chest — a box
  5. court — of law
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. club — a group
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — a permit
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — to fit
  18. court — for sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. court — of a king
  24. club — for dancing

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