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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — in sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. craft — boats
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — a gift
  12. track — a song
  13. net — for catching
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. present — there
  17. craft — a skill
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitch — completely
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  24. staff — a stick

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