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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. mine — for digging
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a great time
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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