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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a lid
  6. present — there
  7. fall — the season
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mark — a grade
  11. swing — to play on
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. present — a gift

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