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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a song
  12. present — there
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — a gift

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