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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. face — to point toward
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — clever

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