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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — a stick
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bat — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — a container
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mug — a face
  19. bound — certain
  20. tube — the underground
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — a cup

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