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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. spell — letters
  4. net — after costs
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — final
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — finally
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spell — magic
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. net — for catching

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