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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. degree — an amount
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — all right
  21. rock — a stone
  22. degree — temperature
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bat — 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