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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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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: saw · pitch · bulb · firm · kid · row · ruler · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — child
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. firm — a company
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. firm — decided
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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