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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. snap — to click
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. vault — a safe
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ground — crushed
  24. board — to get on

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