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

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. board — to get on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — soda
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — for digging
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bound — certain
  16. pop — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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