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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: bat · present · squash · sharp · craft · mouse · mug · mate

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. craft — boats
  13. present — there
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mug — to rob
  17. squash — to crush
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mate — to breed

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