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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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 — for baseball
  2. suit — clothes
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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