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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. staff — employees
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mine — for digging
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cap — of ice
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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