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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — for catching
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. net — after costs
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. net — in sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — to hit hard

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