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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 · band · fan · roll · race · lie · pitch · bear

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitch — completely
  14. roll — a list
  15. band — a music group
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — on a roll

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