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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cell — in biology
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. track — a path
  8. board — a committee
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. row — a line
  21. track — a song
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — to keep track
  24. perch — for a bird

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