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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a path
  5. spring — the season
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. game — a match
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mate — to breed
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — low music
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mate — a friend
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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