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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: pitcher · roll · ruler · fan · pop · chest · field · pass

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. field — farmland
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — a subject
  19. chest — a box
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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