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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — ground
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. present — there
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — to come down
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. land — a country

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