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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a grade
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. date — the fruit
  24. racket — a loud noise

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