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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.

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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kid — child
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rest — what's left

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