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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — a signal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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