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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
468
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: rash · spring · ruler · pitch · current · present · chair · ball

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spring — of water
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spring — the season
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. present — a gift
  24. ruler — a monarch

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