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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: ruler · hand · kid · ground · racket · squash · cap · jam

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kid — child
  7. hand — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ground — a position
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cap — a hat

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