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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — magic
  4. bat — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. file — a tool
  18. swing — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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