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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: nail · pitch · ruler · charge · stem · straw · mate · pitcher

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — a price
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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