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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: file · pound · pitch · bowl · spring · ruler · bat · hide

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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