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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hand — help
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — a video
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. key — for a lock
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stock — goods
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — shares
  23. key — in music
  24. clip — for paper

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