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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — a hole
  3. swing — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ruler — for measuring

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