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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: present · mouse · foot · nail · ground · ball · shower · season

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. shower — rain
  7. present — a gift
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — there
  10. ground — crushed
  11. season — of the year
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ground — a position
  24. nail — on a finger

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