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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — to get on
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — thin

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