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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: tear · date · ruler · roll · racket · spell · band · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. spell — a short time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — letters
  9. roll — a cake
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a music group
  12. tear — to rip
  13. band — a ring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — magic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. roll — a list
  23. pit — in a race
  24. band — a rubber band

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