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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: mouse · deal · racket · arm · season · mine · fork · toast

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — bread
  11. mine — for digging
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. season — in sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mouse — for a computer

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