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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. bear — to put up with

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