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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. drill — army training
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. branch — a division
  16. hand — help
  17. drill — the tool
  18. degree — temperature
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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