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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pound — a weight
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. club — a group

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