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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chip — in a computer

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