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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 116 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: net · bat · ball · stick · ruler · hide · bay · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — the arms race
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. net — for catching
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a round shape

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