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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. face — part of the head
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. face — to confront
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cue — a signal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — happening now
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. current — of water
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. current — electric
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hand — help

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