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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bound — certain
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fine — all right
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — tied together
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chest — a box

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