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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 · pitch · cap · object · wake · pitcher · sharp · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. object — a thing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cap — a hat

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