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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: bat · leaves · scale · club · racket · root · ruler · cue

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. root — the cause
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — a signal
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — a group
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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