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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — in music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bat — the animal
  24. degree — temperature

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