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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: ball · mouse · saw · cold · deal · temple · mug · ground

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — a face
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cold — an illness
  23. ball — a dance
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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