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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. spell — letters
  3. roll — a cake
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — for money
  16. roll — a list
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — for a computer

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