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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — music

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