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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cell — in biology
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spring — of water
  9. cell — a phone
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. scale — in 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