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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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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 · cold · foot · saw · fork · stand · pitcher · kid

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — to bear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitcher — a jug

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