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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — a song
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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