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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. land — ground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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