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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 120 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 · spring · ball · cabinet · nail · ruler · current · chair

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — happening now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — of water
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — electric

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