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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. court — for sport
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — of a king
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — magic
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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