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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. craft — boats
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bat — for baseball

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