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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chair — a leader
  6. toast — bread
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rule — government
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rule — a law
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kid — child

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