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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 · spell · arm · pitch · land · stock · suit · ball

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. spell — letters
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. land — ground
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  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