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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. game — a match
  5. spell — letters
  6. charge — in control
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — a price
  16. spell — magic
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a dance
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a round shape

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