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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mark — a grade
  4. charge — in control
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fall — the season
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — a price

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