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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — a series
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. present — a gift
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. present — there
  17. sharp — clever
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. firm — decided
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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