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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — help
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fine — all right
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mug — a face
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. swing — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. hand — in cards

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