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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. object — to protest
  7. march — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — a line
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — a thing
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. row — to paddle
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. object — an aim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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