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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: mug · board · ball · ruler · saw · net · rest · bat

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mug — a face
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. board — a committee

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