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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.

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 · season · toast · fine · deal · cue · roll · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a list
  4. fine — all right
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. season — of the year
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. roll — a cake
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cue — a signal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fine — high quality
  24. season — in sport

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