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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. last — to go on
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — for catching
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — to rip
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — to visit
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — crushed
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — final
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tear — from crying

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