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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — a gift
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — the time now
  22. net — after costs
  23. present — there
  24. pit — a hole

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