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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 116 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: ruler · cap · plane · bat · cue · kick · ground · squash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — a position
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kick — in football

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