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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — for a hammer

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