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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mark — a grade

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