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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. land — ground
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. field — farmland
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — to come down
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — for sport
  16. perch — the fish
  17. land — a country
  18. bass — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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