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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. net — for catching
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. net — after costs
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bat — the animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mug — a face
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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