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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bass — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. roll — a list
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bat — the animal

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