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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · band · object · squash · fan · mate · field · bowl

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — the sport
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a ring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — farmland
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. object — a thing
  19. field — a subject
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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