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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. field — farmland
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. field — for sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a friend
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — a contest
  24. season — to add flavour

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