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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: racket · toast · bat · press · ruler · fork · field · kid

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — child
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. press — to push
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — for sport
  17. toast — bread
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ruler — a monarch

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