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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. game — a match
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. foot — a measure
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — of water
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bass — the fish

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