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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. game — a match
  7. bore — to drill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ground — crushed
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. game — wild animals
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ground — a position
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to click
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. key — the most important part

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