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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. row — a line
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bat — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. object — a thing
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — to protest
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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