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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.

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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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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: squash · mouse · ball · pit · saw · rule · shower · swing

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ball — a dance
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rule — government
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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