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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: key · bat · suit · mug · pitcher · season · wave · clip

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. clip — a video
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — in music
  24. bat — the animal

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