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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: rush · drill · bank · foot · straw · ruler · pitch · race

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. race — humankind
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bank — of a river
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — a practice
  21. race — a contest
  22. rush — hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. race — the arms race

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