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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 116 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — ground
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. land — to come down
  14. fork — in a road
  15. land — a country
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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