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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — a thing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — an aim
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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