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

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — wild animals
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — to keep track
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — a path
  24. bound — certain

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