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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cell — a phone
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ground — a position
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ground — the earth
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — bread

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