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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: stick · pitcher · row · bat · rule · ruler · key · hand

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. key — in music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rule — a law
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — government
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bat — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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