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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: cap · coach · object · present · rule · stick · rest · kick

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kick — in football
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. object — to protest
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — a law
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rest — a break
  20. present — there
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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