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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — hurry
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. current — electric
  14. track — a song
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rush — a thrill

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