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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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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: last · toast · temple · pitcher · mug · stick · cap · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. last — final
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — government
  15. last — finally
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. toast — bread
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. last — to go on

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