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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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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: ruler · shower · suit · pitch · fork · field

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitch — completely
  7. shower — to wash
  8. field — for sport
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. field — farmland
  11. shower — rain
  12. field — a subject
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes

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