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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — a price
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — in control
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cold — not warm
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — employees
  24. cold — the Cold War

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