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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cold — an illness
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cold — not warm
  10. firm — a company
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — the animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — boats
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bass — low music
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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