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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 · clip · ball · bat · scale · dip · bay · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. scale — in music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. dip — to sink
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — to rob

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