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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: pitcher · band · mate · kick · squash · firm · ground · ruler

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a music group
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mate — to breed
  10. firm — a company
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a ring
  17. firm — decided
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mate — a partner
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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