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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 on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. ground — the earth
  3. board — a committee
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. pound — a weight
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. roll — a list
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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