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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — in control
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. kid — child
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — a face
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mug — a cup
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — in sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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