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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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468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stock — shares
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — goods
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — completely
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — a break

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