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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: wind · ruler · suit · firm · foot · pitch · bass · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — ground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. land — to come down
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bass — low music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. suit — clothes

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