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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 · band · game · pop · stem · saw · pitcher · pitch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — completely
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a ring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pop — music
  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