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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a face
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — money
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rush — hurry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. capital — a city
  19. ground — crushed
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. last — to go on
  22. ground — a position
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a great time

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