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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cue — a signal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bat — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — for pool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. deal — to handle

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