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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. present — a gift
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — a break
  11. present — there
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pitch — completely
  22. clip — a video
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pit — in a race

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