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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitch — completely
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — to crush
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. squash — the sport

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