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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — to handle
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — music

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