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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a match
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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