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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — a container
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chest — a box
  17. mug — a face
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ball — a great time

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