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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — high quality
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tube — a container
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — a break
  24. bowl — to roll

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