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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 120 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: cell · fork · firm · bat · lean · club · suit · ruler

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — a phone
  8. firm — a company
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. firm — steady
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. club — a group
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ruler — for measuring

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