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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: bat · race · ruler · chip · foot · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. race — humankind
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. race — a contest
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bat — in an idiom

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