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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: cell · toast · ruler · rush · pit · nail · bowl · bat

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — in a race
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rush — hurry
  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