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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — for sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. leaves — lets stay

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