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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. object — to protest
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — a thing
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the instrument

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