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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: field · mark · ruler · present · rest · snap · band · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rest — a break
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a music group
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a ring
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. present — there
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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