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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. season — of the year
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — a stone
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rock — to move gently

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