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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — a short time
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bat — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — boats
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cap — a hat
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — letters
  21. degree — an amount
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — for tennis

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