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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — in control
  7. mark — a grade
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cold — not warm
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ground — a position
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cold — an illness
  24. suit — to fit

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