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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chair — a leader
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — in a road
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ball — a great time
  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