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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — to get on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. file — a line of people
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. file — a tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ball — a dance
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ball — a great time

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