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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. degree — an amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — a face
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — to fit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. suit — clothes
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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