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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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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: bay · ruler · snap · field · mouse · perch · rush · deal

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to click
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. field — a subject
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — hurry

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