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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cold — an illness
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — a cup

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