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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. court — of law
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — hurry
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. court — for sport
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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