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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 · nail · bore · mark · band · season · pitcher · deal

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. season — of the year
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. season — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in 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