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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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