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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pitch — a sports field

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