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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
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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: mouse · pop · staff · mine · pit · file · bass · hide

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. file — a document
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pop — soda
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — the animal

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