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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: hand · bulb · squash · ruler · season · staff · cap · bat

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cap — a lid
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — help
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — in sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — in an idiom

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