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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fall — to drop
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — low music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — hurry

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