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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: hide · ruler · scale · patient · pitch · foot · bat · cell

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bat — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. scale — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. foot — a measure

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