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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: mark · racket · squash · club · clip · rush · bay · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. club — a group
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the sport
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. clip — a video
  24. club — for dancing

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