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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — thin
  9. club — a group
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lean — to bend

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