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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: bat · chest · jam · ruler · pitch · foot · bound · ball

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pitch — completely
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — the bottom

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