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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: key · stand · cell · bat · pop · fine · ruler · mine

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. key — in music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. cell — a phone

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