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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. field — farmland
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — to get on
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ruler — for measuring

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