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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 124 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 like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pop — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pop — to visit

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