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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. swing — in golf
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — a series
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — humankind
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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