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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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