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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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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: pound · pit · jam · wound · ruler · kid · fan · pitch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kid — child
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pit — a hole
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pit — in a race

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