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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — to breed
  9. present — the time now
  10. row — a line
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — what's left

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