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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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a match
  6. squash — the sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. net — for catching
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitch — completely
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — a stick
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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