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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 116 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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — of water
  7. drill — army training
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  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