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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: rock · suit · pitcher · ruler · content · drill · bowl · hand

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — help
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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