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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. firm — a company
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — decided
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — steady
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ruler — for measuring

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