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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of law
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — child
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — in music
  18. snap — to click
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cue — a hint
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cue — a signal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lash — an eyelash

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