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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pop — soda
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — of ice
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. march — the month
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pop — music

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