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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. court — for sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. court — of a king
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — in music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. key — for a lock

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