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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — farmland
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. field — a subject
  9. key — the most important part
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. field — for sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. scale — size or range
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — in music

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