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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 120 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 · kid · cue · firm · leaves · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — to tease
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kid — child
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — to be able to

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