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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. race — humankind
  12. bass — low music
  13. capital — money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. bass — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — for a computer

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