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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. season — in sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ground — the earth

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