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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
468
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 · can · rash · game · wake · wind · mouse · pitch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — a series
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. game — a match
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wake — a trail
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wind — moving air

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