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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: staff · kid · pitcher · ruler · face · fork · mate · pit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mate — a friend
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — to breed
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — a garden tool

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