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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. band — a ring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to tire
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — an injury
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — the animal

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