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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bass — the fish
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — rain
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pop — soda
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — to handle
  23. clip — a video
  24. pop — music

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