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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fork — in a road
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. court — of a king
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — for sport
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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