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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — all right
  5. kid — child
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. last — finally
  8. pitch — completely
  9. present — there
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ball — a great time
  16. last — final
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — to go on
  24. cue — for pool

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