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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — a coil
  7. scale — in music
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — a flat piece

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