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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — child
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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