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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. game — a match
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. trunk — of a tree

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