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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. hand — help
  5. suit — to fit
  6. charge — in control
  7. wake — a trail
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — in music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — in cards
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — electricity
  24. board — a flat piece

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