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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: fork · sharp · cue · roll · mine · racket · mouse · mate

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. roll — a cake
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — exactly

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