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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. drill — army training
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. kick — with a leg

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