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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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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: bound · pitch · root · straw · tear · ruler

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. root — of a word
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — certain
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — tied together
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sports field

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