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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — for catching
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. charge — a price
  14. firm — steady
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — in control
  18. net — in sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. firm — a company
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. net — after costs

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