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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: last · ruler · pitcher · mark · kick · stock · chair · spring

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — shares
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — final
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — to go on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chair — a leader

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