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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 · rush · band · squash · game · key · season · sharp

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. season — of the year
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — for a lock
  14. band — a music group
  15. game — wild animals
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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