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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mug — a face
  5. club — a group
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. club — for golf
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. club — for dancing

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