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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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