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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.

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: snap · foot · pitcher · bowl · bat · plane · mine · mouse

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — for digging
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — a tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — 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