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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — a company
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — a gift
  13. wake — a trail
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. board — to get on
  22. present — there
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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