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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.

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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: mate · mouse · stick · snap · arm · racket · bowl · pop

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pop — soda
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. snap — to click
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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