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

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — clever
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. toast — bread
  11. land — ground
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape

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