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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. firm — decided
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — steady
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. chip — to eat
  18. craft — boats
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a skill

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