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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — happening now
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. current — electric
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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