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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: cue · deal · can · date · land · ground · mouse · rash

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ground — the earth
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cue — a hint
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. date — on the calendar

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