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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — to get on
  7. key — in music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — to paddle
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — a line
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wake — a trail
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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