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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hand — help
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — a thrill

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