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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — for digging
  12. club — a group
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — a law
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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