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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. bat — the animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — of a river
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fall — the season
  20. fine — all right
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. pitch — completely

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