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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. press — a publisher
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. press — to push
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kid — child
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mark — a grade

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