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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pitch — completely
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spring — of water
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — a partner
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mate — a friend
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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