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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: track · ball · tear · pitch · ruler · mine · land · cap

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. land — a country
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tear — to rip
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a great time
  19. track — a song
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a dance

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