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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bound — certain
  3. bat — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bound — tied together
  13. land — a country
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — for betting
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — to eat
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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