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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — a face
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — the animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bass — low 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