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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — a series
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. ground — crushed
  18. present — there
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cue — for pool
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ground — a position

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