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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. land — to come down
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bat — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — a country
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. object — to protest
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mug — a face

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