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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. net — after costs
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. game — a match
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. bat — the animal
  20. toast — bread
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. safe — a strongbox

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