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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitch — completely
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. land — ground
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. court — for sport

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