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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitch — completely
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — a gift
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — the time now
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. date — the fruit
  24. present — there

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