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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. fork — in a road
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. land — a country
  19. game — a match
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. land — to come down
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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