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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a signal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — a gift
  24. can — a tin

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