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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — electric
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — of your body
  11. game — a match
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. current — happening now
  19. chest — a box
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. current — of water

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