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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tube — the underground
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. scale — in music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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