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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — after costs
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — in sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mouse — the animal

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