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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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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: ruler · ball · bat · swing · pop · wave · object · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — a thing
  12. ball — a dance
  13. object — an aim
  14. pop — music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hand — help

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