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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chest — a box
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — employees

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