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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: saw · mine · squash · key · game · calf · ball · mouse

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mine — for digging
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. calf — of the leg

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