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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — for golf
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. club — for dancing

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