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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bat — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. last — final
  10. staff — employees
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. last — finally
  14. band — a ring
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ball — a dance

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