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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. net — in sport
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — moving air
  19. roll — a list
  20. key — for a lock
  21. net — for catching
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. roll — a cake
  24. calf — of the leg

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