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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — a committee
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air

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