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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. shower — rain
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. court — of law
  10. club — a group
  11. fall — to drop
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — for dancing
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — magic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — letters
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — for golf

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