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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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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: season · mouse · present · fan · bay · bat · content · bound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — there
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — a gift
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. content — happy
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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