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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: hand · saw · tear · pitcher · can · ruler · track · ball

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — to be able to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. track — to keep track
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a song
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — help
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tear — to rip

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