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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.

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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — shares
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. hand — help
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — in cards
  17. band — a music group
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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