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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. rest — a break
  23. ground — crushed
  24. squash — to crush

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