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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: key · ruler · race · spell · squash · pitcher · perch · pitch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. race — humankind
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. perch — the fish
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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