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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — in football
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fan — to cool the air

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