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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — help
  11. charge — a price
  12. firm — steady
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hand — in cards

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