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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: pitcher · kick · chip · hide · rule · fall · sharp · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rule — a law
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — government
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — in football
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kick — with a leg

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