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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · charge · fall · ruler · hide · field · cap · date

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — in control
  7. date — the fruit
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — a subject
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fall — the season
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — completely
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. field — for sport

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