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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stand — for spectators

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