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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: ruler · roll · suit · leaves · mark · pitch · drill · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. roll — a cake
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — a list
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. drill — army training
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. suit — clothes
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. suit — in cards
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mate — to breed

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