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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. press — to push
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. press — newspapers
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — a publisher
  8. drill — army training
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — completely
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. band — a ring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. prune — to trim
  23. band — a music group
  24. swing — in golf

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