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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. last — finally
  7. tear — to rip
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. board — to get on
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. tear — from crying
  15. last — to go on
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a match
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cell — in biology
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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