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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 120 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: firm · ruler · bear · game · face · bore · pitcher · nail

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a match
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. firm — a company
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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