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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · saw · pitcher · band · mine · stock · ball · ruler

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ball — a dance
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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