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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — letters
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — magic
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. swing — in golf
  13. game — a match
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitcher — a jug

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