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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 120 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: snap · mouse · ball · bear · fork · shower · cue · sharp

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. snap — to click
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. shower — rain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ball — a round shape

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