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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — of ice
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — in football

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