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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — to come down
  7. wound — an injury
  8. land — a country
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — a partner
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a dance

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