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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — hurry
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. rule — government
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. net — for catching

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