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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 · fall · squash · tube · jam · safe · swing · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. swing — to play on
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bat — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — music
  24. fall — the season

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