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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — boats
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — help
  6. mug — a face
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — a position
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. craft — a skill
  13. net — for catching
  14. ground — crushed
  15. net — in sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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