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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of a king
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — for sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — a break
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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