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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. perch — for a bird

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