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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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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: band · ruler · wave · saw · pitcher · bowl · bat · pit

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bat — in an idiom

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