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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cold — not warm
  17. court — of a king
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. court — of law
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — for sport

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