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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: bat · lie · pitcher · roll · charge · race · spring · ruler

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — a list
  23. bat — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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