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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rest — a break
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — to fit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bat — the animal
  12. club — a group
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. suit — in cards

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