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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: bowl · race · calf · ruler · pass · bat

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind

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