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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — obliged
  7. toast — bread
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bat — the animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. object — to protest
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. hand — in cards

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