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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: mouse · fine · pop · bark · ruler · pitcher · wave · cell

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — all right

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