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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — a stone
  5. present — there
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — the time now
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — for catching
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. net — in sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rock — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. snap — to click
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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