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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — in sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — for catching
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pit — a hole

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