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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. key — the most important part
  6. degree — an amount
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — for a computer

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