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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. object — an aim
  13. mug — a face
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — to eat
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wound — an injury

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