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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a partner
  3. squash — the sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to click
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — completely
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — for sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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