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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — for betting
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to click
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. object — an aim
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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