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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pop — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a cup
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. branch — a division
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — to visit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — to paddle

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