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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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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: bat · saw · capital · lash · ruler · racket · can · patient

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. capital — money
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. can — to be able to
  20. capital — a city
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — to lash out

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