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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. track — a song
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — a leader

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