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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — to handle
  4. march — music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — a coil
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — for baseball

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