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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — a contest
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. net — after costs
  9. race — humankind
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mug — to rob
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — to handle

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