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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. file — a document
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — help
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. swing — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a signal
  22. file — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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