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

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. key — the most important part
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — of ice
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chest — a box
  15. key — in music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — to cool the air

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