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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: row · object · bear · ruler · spell · pitch · band · wake

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a line
  10. object — an aim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — a trail
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. spell — magic
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — to paddle
  23. spell — a short time
  24. band — a music group

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