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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tear — from crying
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tear — to rip
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — for catching
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. swing — to play on

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