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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — to shout
  8. season — in sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. spring — the season
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — of the year
  23. kick — in football
  24. spring — of water

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