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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: mouse · march · foot · ruler · bat · jam · lean · racket

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. march — music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. racket — for tennis

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