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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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