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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spring — the season
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — a committee
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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