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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mug — a face
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. march — the month
  8. last — finally
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. last — final
  20. pass — a permit
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mouse — the animal

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