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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — what's left

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