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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — a short time
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — a friend
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — low music

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