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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ground — a position
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. net — after costs
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ground — the earth
  14. net — in sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — crushed
  18. net — for catching
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — to eat
  24. jam — a tight spot

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