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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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Word bank
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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: band · calf · rest · ruler · pitch · ball

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — a break
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. band — a music group
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ball — a great time
  18. calf — of the leg

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