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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: squash · bowl · ruler · bat · bulb · board · game · hand

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — to get on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bat — for baseball

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