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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bat — the animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spring — the season
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. board — to get on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — of water
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — for pool

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