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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — a gift
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pop — music
  20. track — a path
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — a song
  24. ruler — for measuring

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