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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
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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: cue · game · shower · squash · craft · march · bulb · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. march — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — for light

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