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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hand — in cards
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bound — tied together
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — help
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — certain
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. row — a line
  21. bound — obliged
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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