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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — ground
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. land — a country

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