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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: wound · squash · bat · racket · jam · bay · toast · ruler

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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