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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 · mouse · roll · foot · bark · ruler · rest · cap

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — a list
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — a hat

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