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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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