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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — in sport
  3. game — a match
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — for catching
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to bend
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. net — after costs
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — videos and posts

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