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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: pound · ruler · bat · hand · game · object · race · mate

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mate — to breed
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — humankind
  8. object — an aim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bat — the animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — a contest
  24. pound — to hit hard

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