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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · mark · lie · rule · track · chair · toast · foot

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — government
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — a measure
  19. toast — bread
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rule — a law
  24. track — to keep track

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