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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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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: cap · swing · deal · bat · object · foot · clip · stick

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bat — the animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. cap — a hat
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — an aim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — for paper
  20. object — to protest
  21. foot — a measure
  22. clip — to cut
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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