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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a grade
  5. deal — to handle
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — for catching
  14. bat — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bat — in an idiom

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