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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bat — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — all right
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tube — a container
  17. band — a music group
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bat — for baseball

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