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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. suit — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. land — to come down
  15. cue — for pool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — for sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. land — ground
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. land — a country

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