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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 · bass · wake · net · cell · bark · calf · game

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. net — after costs
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — for catching
  20. game — a match
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bark — to shout

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