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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · field · staff · spell · shower · rock · ruler · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — rain
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. field — a subject
  14. staff — a stick
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. snap — to click

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