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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — a division
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. roll — a list
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mate — a partner
  24. roll — a cake

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