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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: racket · ruler · swing · file · wake · pitch · hide · pound

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitch — completely
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — in golf
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. file — a tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — a weight

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