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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mate — a friend
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. drill — army training
  13. mug — to rob
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mate — a partner
  17. drill — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ground — a position

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