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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. track — a song
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a music group
  9. bat — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. club — for golf
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — to keep track
  24. press — a publisher

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