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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: pitch · can · calf · fall · roll · bat · kid · ruler

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — child
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — the animal

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