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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — to push
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. dip — to sink
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — to fit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — in music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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