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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — thin
  12. degree — temperature
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to tire
  15. degree — an amount
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. file — a tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pitch — completely
  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