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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. shower — rain
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — to handle
  23. shower — to wash
  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