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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · mate · mouse · squash · craft · chair · spring · bore

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spring — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spring — a coil
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — the earth
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bore — to tire

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