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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — soda
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — to visit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pop — music
  24. shower — rain

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