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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — after costs

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