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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: ruler · bat · face · bear · pitch · last · bound · swing

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — final
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. face — part of the head
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bound — tied together
  17. last — to go on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. last — finally
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to confront
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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