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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — a thrill

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