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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. clip — a video
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — help
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pit — in a race

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