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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. game — a match
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a kind of play

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