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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kid — child
  4. club — for golf
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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