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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.

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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ground — a position
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — in music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ground — crushed

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