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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 · cap · court · bat · spell · lash · pitcher · wind

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — of a king
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — letters
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cap — a lid
  18. court — of law
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — of ice

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