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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 · spell · last · rush · season · bat · pitch · cap

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. last — final
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. last — finally
  11. season — in sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bat — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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