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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. squash — the sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ground — a position
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ground — the earth
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bat — in an idiom

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