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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 · swing · pitch · rest · board · temple · chip · lean

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — government
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. board — a committee
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rest — a break
  17. swing — in golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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