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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: straw · bat · squash · band · pit · tube · deal · ruler

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tube — a container
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — in a race
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — an agreement

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