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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lean — thin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — a supporter

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