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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — a group
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. degree — from a university
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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