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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bass — the fish
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — in sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — for catching
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — after costs
  24. mug — a cup

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