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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: nail · squash · bat · fine · toast · cue · ruler · rock

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — the sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — all right
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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