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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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bat — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mate — to breed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a line
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. row — to paddle

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