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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: racket · ruler · ground · pop · scale · pitch · current · hand

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. current — electric
  6. pop — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — of water
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — the earth
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — soda

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