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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: deal · cell · mouse · squash · bowl · cue · fall · bat

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. deal — to handle

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