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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — certain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — for catching
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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