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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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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: bat · staff · cap · swing · stock · cue · ruler · saw

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cue — for pool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cap — a hat
  5. swing — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bat — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stock — goods
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a signal

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