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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: game · fall · jam · mouse · mine · race · object · land

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — ground
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — an aim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — a country
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. game — a match
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. object — a thing
  19. race — a contest
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mine — for digging

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