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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 · lash · mark · date · bound · pitch · kid · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — child
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitch — completely
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — to rob

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