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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: pitch · bat · bound · deal · pit · wax · squash · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — certain
  10. pit — a hole
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bat — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bat — for baseball

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