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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mine — for digging
  12. game — a match
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rule — a law
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — on the skin

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