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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. board — to get on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. court — of law
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a committee
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. court — for sport

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