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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. present — there
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. shower — rain
  16. present — a gift
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — completely
  22. present — the time now
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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