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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 116 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: racket · coach · wound · tear · bowl · ruler · pitcher · ground

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — crushed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — to roll

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