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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bass — low music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. field — farmland
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a cup
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mug — a face
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. field — a subject
  24. bass — the instrument

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