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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. net — in sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. chair — a leader
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. board — a committee
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. board — a flat piece

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