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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: staff · ruler · cold · pitch · present · object

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. present — there
  4. staff — employees
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — the time now
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cold — an illness
  11. present — a gift
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — an aim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — a thing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. staff — a stick

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