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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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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: arm · fan · mark · bat · wake · ball · swing · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a grade
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — a trail
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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