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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: present · snap · mouse · can · pitcher · ball · mine · last

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. last — final
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — the time now
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. last — finally
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mine — for digging
  17. last — to go on
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a round shape

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