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

Word bank: foot · ruler · snap · cell · racket · chair

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — a phone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in biology
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis

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