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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 · sharp · mark · cabinet · rush · fall · rock · pitcher

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — the season
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — hurry
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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