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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. net — for catching
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. degree — from a university
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — an amount
  21. net — after costs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. nail — on a finger

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