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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. roll — a cake
  6. squash — the sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. roll — a list
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bat — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — to be able to
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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