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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 · wake · current · rock · rule · ruler · ball · game

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. current — of water
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rule — government
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a match
  16. current — electric
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a round shape

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