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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. wind — moving air
  24. squash — to crush

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