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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · bowl · hide · rule · coach · object · pitcher · jam

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. object — to protest
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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