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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. cap — a hat
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — completely
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — of ice
  17. press — to push
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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