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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: land · bay · ruler · pitcher · suit · tear · mark · pitch

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. land — a country
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. land — ground
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — to come down
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a grade
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a trace

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