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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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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: mug · present · perch · chest · hand · deal · bat · cue

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. perch — the fish
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — a gift
  14. hand — help
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — there
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — an agreement

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