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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — for sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. shower — to wash
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — farmland
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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