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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. toast — bread
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — to crush
  14. land — a country
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the sport
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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