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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — a position
  6. rock — a stone
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — music
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — to move gently

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