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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. season — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. object — a thing
  23. season — of the year
  24. staff — a stick

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