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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. last — final
  18. root — of a word
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pop — to visit
  22. root — the cause
  23. pop — soda
  24. mouse — the animal

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