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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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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: wind · ruler · pitch · mate · racket · squash · bore · chip

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — to drill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the sport

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