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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · chest · cap · ruler · racket · hide

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chest — a box
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — soda
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music

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