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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. court — of law
  12. track — a song
  13. row — to paddle
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rock — a stone
  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