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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. staff — employees
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — a stick
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitch — completely

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