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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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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: club · pitcher · current · racket · game · face · ruler · rash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a match
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — a series
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to confront
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. club — a group
  24. current — of water

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