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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lean — to bend
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lean — thin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — a law
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — temperature
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — government
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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