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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. spell — letters
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — magic
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — a leader
  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