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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — shares
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stock — goods
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a hint
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bat — the animal

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