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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — a face
  13. deal — to handle
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. net — for catching
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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