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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: bat · net · nail · rock · staff · pitcher · rule · face

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. face — to point toward
  3. net — for catching
  4. face — to confront
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. net — after costs
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — to move gently

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