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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — decided
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. staff — a stick
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fall — to drop

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