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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: field · stick · cap · object · ruler · mug · lash · pitch

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mug — to rob
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. object — to protest
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cap — of ice
  22. field — a subject
  23. object — an aim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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