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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · press · club · scale · bat · straw · fan

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. press — newspapers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. scale — in music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. press — to push
  19. club — a group
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — for golf

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