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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. present — a gift
  4. roll — a cake
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — for betting
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. present — there
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — of ice
  20. key — the most important part
  21. roll — a list
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a hat

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