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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · bore · mug · snap · firm · ball

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. firm — a company
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a great time
  8. firm — decided
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — steady
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. snap — to click

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