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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. band — a music group
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. ruler — a monarch

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