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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — ground
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — happening now
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. current — of water
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. squash — the sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. land — a country
  22. current — electric
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — to roll

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