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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: spell · ruler · rush · pitcher · mark · degree · prune · pitch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — to trim
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — letters

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