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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bass — low music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. drill — army training
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bat — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. drill — a practice

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