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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — a city
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — a penalty

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