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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. club — for golf
  13. perch — the fish
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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