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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spring — of water
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chip — for betting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — the season
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mug — a cup
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to click
  21. season — of the year
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. drill — the tool

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