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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 · pit · ruler · squash · ground · net · mark · land

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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 — in baseball
  2. pit — a hole
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. pit — in a race
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — to come down
  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