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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — completely
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mate — to breed
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — a coil
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. game — a match

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