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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: firm · craft · mouse · pitcher · hand · club · mate · game

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. firm — decided
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — boats
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — help
  13. craft — a skill
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. club — a group
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. game — a kind of play

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