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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. band — a ring
  5. current — happening now
  6. row — a line
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. current — electric
  13. can — to be able to
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mug — to rob
  18. current — of water
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — steady
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — size or range
  24. band — a rubber band

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