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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — size or range
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mark — a trace
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. scale — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — clothes
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. swing — music

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