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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 120 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: track · bat · rock · bear · arm · club · cell · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. club — for dancing
  4. track — a path
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cell — a phone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. club — a group
  14. bat — the animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cell — in biology
  24. arm — part of the body

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