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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.

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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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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: game · mouse · suit · wind · racket · fine · craft · tear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — a match
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. craft — a skill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. craft — a handicraft

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