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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: pop · bat · deal · ground · cabinet · fan · hide · ruler

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — crushed
  24. deal — a big deal

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