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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. present — the time now
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. key — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. net — after costs
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. season — in sport
  24. tear — to rip

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