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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. scale — in music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pass — a permit
  23. racket — for tennis
  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