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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: mouse · stick · fork · cabinet · pit · mug · mate · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fork — in a road
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  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