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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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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 · mark · deal · key · race · snap · bat · date

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bat — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mark — a trace
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — a grade
  22. snap — to click
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. date — the fruit

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