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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. object — to protest
  8. firm — steady
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — a company
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. march — the month
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. shower — to wash
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — the underground

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