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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: game · cap · spell · squash · pound · toast · mouse · bear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. toast — bread
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. squash — to crush

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