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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chest — a box
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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