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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — for tennis

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