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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a line
  16. scale — in music
  17. track — a song
  18. row — to paddle
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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