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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: mine · mouse · net · ball · content · trunk · suit · wound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. content — happy
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — the amount

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