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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bat — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pound — a weight
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. file — a document

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