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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — a line
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — a committee
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — from a university

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