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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: pop · saw · mug · fork · season · mouse · racket · shower

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pop — music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — soda
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pop — to visit

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