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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bear · game · last · band · pop · snap · mouse

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — a match
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. band — a music group
  17. mate — a friend
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — to go on
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a ring
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a rubber band

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