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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — letters
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spell — magic
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — a signal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rest — a break
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. staff — employees
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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