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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — the season
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. game — a match
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — of water
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. suit — in cards
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mouse — the animal

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