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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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. cue — for pool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. land — ground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — a country
  24. arm — part of the body

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