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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wound — an injury
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pound — a weight
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ball — a round shape

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