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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. land — ground
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. land — to come down
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. key — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. land — a country
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — the fish

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