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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cabinet · straw · band · prune · suit · deal · mug

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mug — a cup
  4. suit — clothes
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. band — a ring
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. band — a music group
  14. bat — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cabinet — ministers

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