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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — a stick
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — a trace
  23. perch — for a bird
  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