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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rule — government

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