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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — low music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mine — for digging

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