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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bark — to shout
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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