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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 120 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 · mine · pit · arm · dip · racket · chair · board

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chair — a leader
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rule — government
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rule — a law
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — a committee

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