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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. band — a ring
  5. rash — a series
  6. board — to get on
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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