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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bat — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. press — a publisher
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — music
  24. can — to be able to

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