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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 120 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: mouse · mine · foot · game · bay · bear · cabinet · fan

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — the bottom

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