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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cue — for pool
  21. game — a match
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cue — a signal

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