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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. land — a country
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — ground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — army training

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