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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 · prune · mouse · swing · straw · game · bass

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. game — a match
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bass — low music
  17. swing — music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. game — wild animals
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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