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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. object — a thing
  3. hand — help
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — to protest
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. object — an aim
  12. fine — all right
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. mug — a face
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pop — music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bat — in an idiom

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