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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spring — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rule — a law
  17. firm — decided
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — a company
  24. rule — government

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