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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — soda
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pop — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pop — to visit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — for betting
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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