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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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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — a committee
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — for measuring

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