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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pass — a permit
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a music group
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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