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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bat — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — there
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. season — of the year
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. present — a gift
  14. cue — for pool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — a company
  19. season — in sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a signal
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — steady

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