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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 116 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 · wound · mouse · ruler · kick · staff

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — in football
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — for measuring

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