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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: wake · arm · kid · rush · rule · club · pit · scale

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — hurry
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — size or range
  9. club — for golf
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pit — in a race
  18. kid — child
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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