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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: fan · mouse · bay · jam · race · ball · mine · bat

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. race — a contest
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. race — humankind
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — to cool the air

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