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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: mouse · rock · squash · bat · pop · deal · safe · cold

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — soda
  5. deal — to handle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — music
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bat — for baseball

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