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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: ruler · roll · field · hide · ball · pitcher · hand · key

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. roll — a cake
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. field — farmland
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. field — a subject
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. roll — a list
  24. field — for sport

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