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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. firm — steady
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. land — ground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — to get on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bank — for money
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — a country

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