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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — crushed
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bat — the animal

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