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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — to bear
  22. key — for a lock
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — for a computer

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