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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mug — to rob
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — a cup
  20. field — farmland
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — to get on
  24. ruler — a monarch

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