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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hand — in cards
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — a container
  13. ground — a position
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cell — a phone
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — for tennis

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