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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. season — of the year
  6. drill — the tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stem — to come from

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