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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. file — a tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a line of people
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — to rob

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