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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 116 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 · racket · lash · cap · staff · mouse · prune · craft

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — boats
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. staff — employees
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mouse — the animal

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