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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
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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: mine · bat · season · mouse · key · content · mate · mug

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mate — a friend
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mate — to breed
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — happy
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. key — in music

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