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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — a position
  10. pop — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pop — soda
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — of a river
  17. board — to get on
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — the earth
  23. board — a committee
  24. bat — for baseball

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