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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: hide · game · firm · bat · march · arm · saw · bore

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. game — wild animals
  6. firm — a company
  7. march — music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — to drill
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. march — the month

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