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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. shower — rain
  6. cue — a signal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cue — for pool
  12. can — a tin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — to be able to
  20. track — a path
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. key — the most important part
  24. straw — dry grass

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