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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: pitch · ruler · wound · band · pit · coach · row · scale

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. row — to paddle
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitch — completely
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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