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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pass — a permit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. race — humankind
  20. capital — a city
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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