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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. roll — a list
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. roll — a cake
  15. key — in music
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — the animal

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