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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — a stick
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. board — to get on
  10. bat — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bat — for baseball

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