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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 116 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: tear · mouse · craft · cap · squash · season · field · ball

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tear — from crying
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tear — from crying
  18. season — of the year
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — a skill

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