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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 · suit · charge · wind · mark · calf · mate · pitcher

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — in cards
  5. charge — a price
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitcher — a jug

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