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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: ruler · pitcher · pitch · tear · coach · leaves · row · dip

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. tear — to rip
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to sink
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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