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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — of water
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — to rob
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — electric
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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