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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — to get on
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a committee
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — the animal

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