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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mate — to breed
  5. object — an aim
  6. race — a contest
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. race — humankind
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — rain
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mouse — the animal

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