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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a match
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — the season
  9. race — humankind
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — a contest
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. race — the arms race
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fall — to drop
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a quarrel

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