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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 · swing · pitcher · last · bowl · ball · stand · drill

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — to go on
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. drill — army training
  24. swing — music

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