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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — a position
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — for catching
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pit — a hole
  9. net — after costs
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ground — the earth
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cold — an illness

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