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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: hand · rock · pass · ruler · kick · bear · bat · court

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — in football
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bat — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — music
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — to move gently

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