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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. charge — a price
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — a container
  9. chest — a box
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — of your body
  24. charge — in control

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