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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rash — a series
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bat — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mug — a face
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — in music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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