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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 116 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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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 · lie · cold · racket · bulb · mark · pitch · craft

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cold — an illness
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitch — completely
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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