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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a committee
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. bat — for baseball

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