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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — in cards
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — to fit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. march — the month
  12. band — a music group
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. march — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — for digging
  19. band — a ring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bat — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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