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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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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: pop · staff · bore · mouse · wind · racket · scale · toast

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — bread
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pop — music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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