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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 · pop · rock · track · toast · ruler · cabinet · ball

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pop — soda
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — a song
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — a path

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