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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: pitch · kick · rule · ruler · row · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kick — in football
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — there
  8. rule — government
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle

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