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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pop — music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — to bear

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