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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — to tease
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kid — child
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a song
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a path
  24. perch — the fish

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