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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: bay · land · firm · fine · mouse · mine · cue · nail

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. land — ground
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — a company
  7. cue — for pool
  8. firm — decided
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cue — a signal
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — for digging
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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