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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. board — to get on
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a document
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. file — a tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. file — a line of people
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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