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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mug — a face
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — electric
  10. mug — a cup
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chair — a leader
  24. racket — for tennis

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