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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: clip · ruler · coach · pop · fan · bat · saw · mug

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — to cut
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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