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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — a practice
  11. game — wild animals
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — army training
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — a tool

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