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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — government
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — lets stay

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