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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitch — completely
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a hat
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — employees
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. field — farmland
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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