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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · fan · foot · squash · degree · mug · bat

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. date — the fruit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a cup
  17. foot — a measure
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — temperature
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — a face

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